Episode 317

Winter bugs are notoriously hard to vaccinate against. But as cold, flu and covid season is about to descend on us once more, one group researchers are working on an entirely new solution to the misery. A team out of Columbia University has been testing an mRNA-based treatment that could prime our immune systems to fight against any kind of viral infection, perhaps in the form of an asthma-like inhaler. But there is a catch…

New life has been breathed into one of the most controversial ideas in science. In 1989, a surprising way to generate nuclear fusion at room temperature gained worldwide attention - but the initial experiment couldn’t be replicated. Dead in the water for many years, the idea of ‘cold fusion’ is now being revisited - and it could help us create futuristic electronics.

Ever wondered what makes chocolate taste so good? As with many things, it turns out we have microbes to thank. Chocolate, like kimchi and cheese, is a fermented food product - and scientists are beginning to discover which microbes give chocolate its many flavours. These findings could help us create more delicious chocolate, or even create new flavours we’ve never tasted before.

Chapters:

(00:00) Intro

(00:29) Could we end winter illness?

(08:27) Cold fusion’s comeback

(15:23) The delicious microbiome of chocolate

Hosted by Penny Sarchet and Chelsea Whyte, with guests Michael Le Page, Alex Wilkins and Sam Wong.

To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/

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